1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadcasting signal receiving system, and more particularly to a broadcasting signal receiving system in which viewing programs are limited in accordance with a preset standard to view useful programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a broadcasting system such as ground wave broadcasting or a cable television, satellite broadcasting or the like, to limit the reception of video signals including violent scenes or sexual scenes, a V-chip system is proposed. In the V-chip system, data showing viewing limit levels is added respectively to programs to be broadcast. A device side receiving the programs presets levels at which the programs can be viewed to receive only the programs that satisfy the set levels.
On the other hand, a device is also proposed in which a user viewing the program is recognized by identifying a face by a camera or recognizing a fingerprint and an audio to automatically decide and perform whether or not the viewing is limited in accordance with the result (for instance, see JP-A-2000-175117). According to this device, the viewing is not uniformly limited only by setting levels and a viewer as an individual can be specified to individually limit the viewing.
Further, a device is also proposed in which when a channel selected when a power is turned on corresponds to a program a viewing of which is limited, other channel is automatically selected and displayed on a monitor screen (for instance, see JP-A-2001-103387). In this case, as other channels, channels favored by a viewer or corresponding to taste information can be set. That is, other channels the viewing of which is not limited during turning on the power can be selected in accordance with the taste of the viewer.
However, the device disclosed in the JP-A-2000-175117 merely puts emphasis on the limitation of the reception of video signals including and does not adequately consider a state after a viewing is limited. Therefore, a viewer himself or herself needs to perform an operation for switching a channel to other channels that can be viewed.
Further, in the device disclosed in the JP-A-2001-103387, even when the viewer himself or herself does not switch the channel to other channels, the channel can be automatically switched to other channel favored by the viewer or meeting the taste information. However, when the viewing of a channel is limited, the channel favored by the viewer is not necessarily included in other channels, so that the viewer must undesirably select a channel from channels located within a narrow range.
Such a viewing limit is a function provided mainly by taking infants or children into consideration. While parents desire to limit the reception of harmful programs including the violent scenes or the sexual scenes and they wish their children to positively view useful programs.